In the utility delivery space, there have been numerous advances in technology in efforts to provide improved methods and systems for monitoring and controlling the delivery and use of various utilities (e.g., electricity, water, gas, etc). By way of specific example, smart grid systems, including advanced metering infrastructures (“AMIs”) and the like, and have been developed which incorporate smart meters or existing meters retrofitted with modules that include at least a radio, configurable microprocessor and storage capacity. These meters are configured to communicate using predetermined protocols with other nodes such as other meters and WAN/NAN access points (i.e., collectors, bridges, mesh gates) in the smart grid across what is commonly referred to as a neighborhood area network (“NAN”).
A smart grid system may be employed to monitor delivery of a utility, such as by reporting meter readings to back-end systems. For example, meters within the smart grid may determine if delivery of power is occurring or if there is a power outage, and may report power readings to the back-end server. The ability to achieve this monitoring automatically and wirelessly is an important advancement over the wired, drive-by or house-to-house meter reading methodologies of the past. A more detailed description of an exemplary smart grid system configuration and the various communications processes implemented across the smart grid are described in at least U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/554,135, titled “System and Method for Implementing Mesh Network Communications Using a Mesh Network Protocol,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The timely reporting of power outages and restoration across a NAN is critical to maintaining utility access for all customers. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an efficient reporting process that is able to timely and accurately report outage and restoration information from the point of outage/restoration, across the NAN to the access point and eventually across the WAN to back-end systems for processing and, if necessary, acting on the reported information.